10 key takeaways from today’s coronavirus press briefing

The Ministry of Information on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, held a press briefing to provide updates on the coronavirus situation in Ghana and some 230 Ghanaians who were recently deported from Kuwait.

The deportees arrived at the Kotoka International Airport from the Gulf State, on Saturday, May 23, 2020, becoming the first cohort of Ghanaians resident abroad to enter the country after travel restrictions were imposed in the wake of the pandemic.

The press briefing on Tuesday was moderated by a Deputy Information Minister, Ama Dokuaa Asiamah-Agyei, and touched specifically on the following: - Update on Deportees from Kuwait - Dynamics of the virus, and - Update on case count and case management

Here are the 10 key takeaways from the press briefing:

1. Ghana’s coronavirus case count has increased by 156 new cases bringing the national tally to 6,964. The number of deaths remains 32 and the Western Region is fast becoming a hotspot for the virus.

2. The arrival of the 230 Ghanaians from Kuwait is the first of a series of repatriations planned in the coming days. Samples have been taken from the returnees for coronavirus testing. They will remain in quarantine pending the release of the results.

3. In Ghana, only 9% of people infected with the virus show symptoms, while 91% do not show symptoms at all.

4. The commonest symptom of coronavirus infection in Ghana is cough – 30% of cases. Although in other countries it is a fever, in Ghana this is not the case.

5. Children are more likely to show milder symptoms of COVID-19 than adults.

6. Critical cases are defined as respiratory failure or other organ failure requiring life support.

7. Ghana has a three-pronged response strategy: prevent the importation into areas without recorded cases; intensifying isolation, contact tracing in areas at hotspots and areas where community transmission has set in; and monitoring and treatment of patients.

8. The highest number of deaths from coronavirus in a day stands at two.

9. Coronavirus has come to stay, there is a need for every citizen to strictly adhere to the safety protocols on wearing of masks, hand washing, and the use of alcohol-based sanitizers.

10. Ten ventilators have been distributed to selected health facilities across the country. The state-of-the-art ventilators were donated to the state by Pinewood Limited and Tema Bonded Terminal.